Great epics have their moorings in sorrow. Valmiki’s Ramayana too had such an origin, said Damal Perundevi in a discourse. The great sage, fresh from a discourse by Narada on an ideal human (who also identified Rama as that unparalleled one), Valmiki was walking along the banks of the Tamasa when he came upon a pair of curlews, inseparable and singing sweetly. At that moment, a hunter killed the male bird and the female bird cried piteously. Moved to extreme pity and compassion, Valmiki cursed the hunter. “May you never know rest for endless years since you killed this curlew.”
Wondering at his own words (verse) following his distress over the grief of the bird, Valmiki nevertheless realised the metric value of his words and termed it a sloka. Valmiki was still in the throes of sorrow when Brahma visited him and informed him that it was his will that the sloka should emanate from Valmiki. “With this inspired utterance, now tell the world the entire story of Rama, and His deeds and how He was devoted to dharma and possessed of the highest qualities and accomplishments.” Brahma also blessed Valmiki saying he would be privy to whatever happened in the Ramayana, in public or private, even if unknown to him at that point and nothing would be falsified but only truth be told.
Taking the cue from his above sloka, Valmiki composed the Ramayana in 24,000 verses. (Gayatri, the most powerful mantra, has 24 aksharams and the Ramayana, the most powerful epic, 24,000 verses.) After completing his epic, when Valmiki wondered how to reach it to the world, his eyes fell on Luv and Khush, Rama’s sons, who were residing in the ashram and he knew they would fit the job perfectly.
Published – October 18, 2024 05:05 am IST
